For years doctors have warned people about the risk of using tanning beds to bronze their skin. Now, international cancer experts say they consider tanning beds and the ultraviolet radiation among the top cancer risks.
Experts strongly warn that using a tanning bed to tan the skin is as lethal as cigarette smoking. Medical specialists point to studies that show the risk of developing skin cancer increased by 75 percent when people started tanning before age 30.
Marta Van Beek, MD, dermatologist at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, talks about the dangers of tanning beds:
What do tanning beds and the sun do to the skin that might cause cancer?
Tanning beds emit UV radiation; the same kind emitted by the sun, however, in some circumstances, in much larger doses. UV radiation can cause skin cancer two ways:
- UV can directly damage DNA in the skin which causes cells to divide abnormally, eventually leading to the cancer if the body cannot correct it.
- UV suppresses the immune system in the skin. Typically your immune system recognizes abnormally dividing cells and takes care of it before it becomes a skin cancer. However, if the UV light is suppressing this response, these cells continue to divide abnormally and eventually form a cancer.
There has been the longstanding belief that a tan makes a person look "healthy." Where is that line between the good vitamin D in sunshine and too much ultraviolet radiation?
Let me clarify that a tan is a sign that your skin has had too much UV. It is an attempt by your body to protect itself from continued harmful UV rays. Before a tan forms, there's a physical damage in your skin. This is the trigger that your body needs to further protect itself by forming a tan. This damage occurs even without a burn. For those folks out there that think they're being safe as long as they don't develop a burn—they're fooling themselves if they are getting a tan.
A form of vitamin D is made in the skin with UV exposure. However, this occurs at UV levels much lower than what is necessary to get a tan or burn, and certainly is much lower than the amount of UV given off in a tanning bed. Your skin can manufacture vitamin D with very little sun and with sunscreen on. Obtaining vitamin D in your diet is a much safer way to get this vitamin. Fortified milk, fatty fish, nuts, and certain fruits and vegetables are much safer sources of vitamin D.
When someone uses a tanning bed—is the total accumulated time using the tanning bed similar to accumulating sun exposure over your lifetime?
No—it is likely much, much higher. It's difficult to generalize as it depends on how frequently a person goes to the tanning bed. However, it is important to remember that one 15 to 20 minute tanning session offers substantially more UV exposure than a similar time spent in the sun.
Has Iowa seen an increase in skin cancer in younger adults?
Absolutely! Ten years ago, most of our skin cancer patients were 65 or older, now it is not uncommon to see someone in their 20s or 30s with skin cancer.
Are there symptoms or signs someone might be developing skin cancer?
The most common type of skin cancer is a basal cell carcinoma, followed by the second most common which is squamous cell carcinoma, and then melanoma. Each presents a little bit differently. A good rule of thumb is look for a new bump or sore that bleeds easily and cannot be explained by a trauma.
What is the difference between discovering basal cell and melanoma on the skin?
Basal cell is recognized by the signs I just mentioned, an open sore that bleeds easily.
Melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer, is usually pigmented or colored, usually a brown or black color. It's often difficult for a person to tell the difference between a regular mole and melanoma.
To tell the difference, we use the rules called A-B-C-D-E:
- A—asymmetry, the mole is not symmetrical
- B—regular border, moles with smooth borders rather than lumpy or bumpy borders
- C—color, one color all the way through the mole. If it's a dangerous mole, usually it has many, many splotches of different colors.
- • D—diameter, less than the size of a pencil eraser.
- • E—evolving, the spot or the mole has changed significantly over a short period of time.
If you've had a mole that has one or two of these signs all of your life and they haven't changed at all, we're less concerned. The A-B-C-D-E rules can help somebody examining their skin to tell whether they need to be concerned about something and whether they need to seek medical attention.
Is preventing skin cancer as simple as staying away from tanning beds and out of the sun?
Absolutely—UV protection can go a long way to preventing skin cancers. Staying away from tanning beds, using a sunscreen with a very high SPF, seeking shade, and wearing protective clothing such as a hat and long sleeves are excellent methods of decreasing your risk. Everyone would benefit to follow these rules. People with blonde or red hair, blue and green eyes, or very fair skin have a much higher risk of skin cancer, so these rules are even more important for them.
Is there a safe alternative for people who want to tan?
Yes, I always tell my patients that getting a tan from a bottle or self-tanners is very safe. Spray-on tans available in certain salons are also much safer than going to a tanning bed or sunbathing.
Bottom line, can people die from ultraviolet rays in tanning beds?
If they develop a melanoma that goes unrecognized and grows to a size that can't be treated with surgery, then yes. However, if the skin cancer is recognized very early, surgery can usually be curative.
The good news is that there are very simple steps people can follow to protect themselves:
- Avoid tanning beds
- Use sunscreen with a high SPF
- Seeking shade
- Wearing protective clothing
These are all safe alternatives to tanning from UV rays. And if you insist on getting a tan, self-tanners and spray-on tans are considered very safe. |
